1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for creating visual power of a blind person, and more particularly to a visual power creating apparatus for focusing an image onto the optic nerve of a visually handicapped or blind person, the optic nerve being active even though its activity is weak.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, persons have various eye conditions, for example, a condition having an abnormal retina position, that is, a near or far retina position while having a normal crystalline lens curvature, or a condition having an abnormal crystalline lens curvature while having a normal retina position. When a person loses visual power and even visual sense due to a particular ey e problem, thereby losing even an ability to distinguish darkness and brightness, he is generally called a xe2x80x9cblind personxe2x80x9d. Of course, a person having very weak visual power, who can distinguish darkness and brightness or recognize only movements of an object positioned just before the eyes, may also be classified as a blind person. Such persons having weak visual power, who are included in the majority of so-called xe2x80x9cblind personsxe2x80x9d, cannot solve problems caused by their weak visual power even when they use glasses or other specific lenses because the weakness of visual power results from a weakness of the crystalline lens, iris, retina or optic nerve system.
In order to create visual power for blind persons, who lose visual power due to various eye problems such as shrinkage of optic nerve, disorder of the crystalline lens, or, in the case of having no crystalline lens, brain infarction, brain tumor, nystagmus, or retinal detachment, a visual power creating apparatus has been proposed by the inventor. This apparatus is disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 98-36849 filed on Sep. 8, 1998, entitled xe2x80x9cA Visual Power Creating Apparatus Using Optical and Electronic Unitsxe2x80x9d, and laid open on Dec. 5, 1998 while being assigned with the Patent Laid-open Publication No. 98-87669.
However, the prior art does not disclose a concrete configuration capable of allowing skilled persons to easily carry out the invention while achieving effects intended by the invention.
This will be described in more detail. In lines 10 to 13 of the abstract on page 1 in the publication, there is a description xe2x80x9cThe present invention mainly relates to an apparatus for focusing an image onto the optic nerve of a retina having no light sensibility, by use of an optical system having a new illumination system. For transfer of such an image, electronic units (a CCD camera and an LCD panel) are mounted which serve to transfer, in a real time, a moving image to the retina so that blind persons recognize the image, like as normal personsxe2x80x9d. In lines 4 to 7 of the specification on page 3 in the publication, there is also a description xe2x80x9cThe present invention provides a visual power creating apparatus for blind persons. This visual power creating apparatus creates visual power of the optic nerve of a retina having no ability to sense an optical image, by use of an optical system including a specific illumination system. The important technique in the present invention is a combination of a general optical system, in which an assistant lens is coupled to an eyeball in order to focus an image onto the retina, and a separate optical system adapted to transmit an accurate image to the eyeball and retina where the eyeball and retina are abnormally grown.xe2x80x9d Also, the publication discloses in lines 11 to 12 of the specification on page 3 a description xe2x80x9cThe present invention relates to developments of an optical system capable of allowing rays of light to reach an optional position (the optimum image focusing position) of an abnormally grown retina, and an illumination system adapted to generate strong impulse which is sensed by the optic nerve of the blind person.xe2x80x9d In lines 22 to 24 of the specification on page 3 in the publication, there is also a description xe2x80x9cThe present invention comprises an optical system for focusing an image at an optional position of the retina of the viewer, an illumination system for generating strong impulse having an intensity sensed by the degenerated optic nerve without any injury, and electronic units arranged on an optical path for the systemsxe2x80x9d. However, all the above descriptions are associated with only the objects of the disclosed invention. In the publication, there is no description associated with a concrete configuration capable of accomplishing the described objects.
In particular, there is no description associated with concrete configurations of the optical system for focusing an image at an optional position of the retina of the viewer, the illumination system for generating strong impulse having an intensity sensed by the degenerated optic nerve without any injury, and the electronic units arranged on an optical path for the systems. Also, there is no description associated with interconnections of the optical system, illumination system and electronic units. For this reason, it is doubtful that the intended objects of the disclosed invention are accomplished.
Consequently, the disclosed invention is only an incomplete invention in that there is no description associated with concrete configurations for obtaining effects intended by the disclosed invention, interconnections of those configurations, and functions of those configurations.
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the incomplete invention disclosed in the above mentioned publication, and an object of the invention is to provide a visual power creating apparatus for allowing visually handicapped or blind persons having a variety of eye problems to recognize an object in a real time and in the form of an image having the same size as the actual size of the object.
In accordance with the present invention, this object is accomplished by providing a visual power creating apparatus comprising: a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) camera for picking up an image of an object; a Thin Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Display (TFT LCD) monitor for displaying the image picked up by the CCD camera; a light source for illuminating the TFT LCD monitor at a rear side of the TFT LCD monitor and adapted to increase an illuminance of the image displayed on the TFT LCD monitor; means for supplying electric power to the CCD camera and the TFT LCD monitor; means for transmitting the image from the CCD camera to the TFT LCD monitor; and an optical system for enlarging the image displayed on the TFT LCD monitor to an actual size of the object.
The light source may comprise a halogen lamp, and an optical cable for transmitting light emitted from the halogen lamp.
The visual power creating apparatus may further comprise means for adjusting the illuminance of a light illuminating the TFT LCD monitor.
Preferably, the visual power creating apparatus comprise means for switching image to be transmitted to the TFT LCD monitor to thereby cut off the transmission of the image from the CCD camera to the TFT LCD monitor and to transmit an image reproduced from an image medium, separate from the CCD camera, to the TFT LCD monitor.
The optical system comprises a first lens group consisting of a plurality of lenses and serving to primarily enlarge the image displayed on the TFT LCD monitor, a pair of mirrors for reflecting an image emerging from the first lens group, and a second lens group consisting of a plurality of lenses and serving to secondarily enlarge the image emerging from a downstream one of the mirrors.
Preferably, the first lens group is adjustable in position with respect to the TFT LCD monitor in order to allow the image displayed on the TFT LCD monitor to be accurately focused onto the retina even when the user has a disorder of his crystalline lens.
At least one of the mirrors may also be tiltable. In this case, a blind person, who has a retina with optic nerves having a more or less sensitivity, can be allowed to accurately focus the image displayed on the TFT LCD monitor onto those optic nerves.
A filter is disposed between the TFT LCD monitor and the light source in order to filter long-wavelength components of the light emitted from the light source. Accordingly, a blind person can realistically recognize the image displayed on the TFT LCD monitor, nearly as in normal persons.